Bethesda news, restaurants, nightlife, events and openings, real estate, crime reports and more - the way only a lifelong Bethesda resident like Robert Dyer can bring it to you. Everything you want and need to know about Bethesda, plus special investigative reports you won't find anywhere else. The must-read blog for breaking Bethesda news, when you want to be the first to know.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Here are 5 animals in search of a loving home. All are currently residing at the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. (Please note: the location and hours of the shelter have changed since last week) You can visit them Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Or on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The shelter is located at 7315 Muncaster Mill Road, in Derwood.

Call the shelter at 240.773.5960 to check on the availability of a specific animal. When you call, have the dog, cat or small animal's name or ID number, and the 6 digit AIL number (A######) ready.

Good news - someone appears to have adopted Ollie, who was featured here last week. Congratulations, Ollie! Number 137 and Patches are also off the shelter roster, hopefully to good homes.

DOMINIQUE - ID#A380069

Dominique is an unaltered, black and white female pit bull terrier. She is around 4 years old, and has been at the shelter a long time - since October 4 of last year. Can you end her wait for a home this week? Let's make it happen.

Dominique

CATHY - ID#A383829

and

KIM - ID#A383828

Cathy and Kim are unaltered, black and tan, female mixed Yorkshire terriers. They are both around 8 months old. It seems like they should stay together. Do you have room for two?

Kim and Cathy

KALI - ID#A383649

Kali is a spayed female blue domestic shorthair, approximately 4 years old.

Kali

PETTY - ID#A383746

It's got to be extra tough to be a duck in an animal shelter. Let's help bring Petty's awkward moment to an end this week.

The second new Dunkin' Donuts store in downtown Bethesda is under construction on Cordell Avenue, in the Norfolk-Cordell II building (Smashburger, Roof). As a welcome bonus, this Dunkin' Donuts will have a Baskin Robbins ice cream store included. I'm hoping for an opening in time for baseball season, to find out if Baskin Robbins still has Baseball Nut as a limited-time flavor. Here's an update on the progress inside the store:

The long-delayed reopening of the escalator connecting the plaza with the bus bays at Bethesda Metro Center has finally happened - and it actually moves this time! These intrepid commuters put it to work:

Gringos and Mariachis, the new Mexican restaurant on Cordell Avenue, has now added Happy Hour to its weekday schedule. Tuesdays through Fridays, 4:30-6:30 PM, you can now enjoy $5 house margaritas, $5 house sangria (red or white), and $2 off all draft beers.

Are relationships and marriage really the only road to happiness in life? Author Mandy Hale counsels women to get the most out of un-partnered life, and to "never, ever settle."

Hale will be appearing at the Bethesda Row Barnes and Noble at 3:00 PM on Saturday, March 15 to discuss and sign her new book, I've Never Been to Vegas, But My Luggage Has. But you can get the e-book version free in advance, if you join her Launch Team.

The second-richest neighborhood in America is in Bethesda, according to Stephen Higley, a professor emeritus of urban social geography at the University of Montevallo. But which one? This should be easy to guess, right?

Bradley Manor-Longwood is the richest neighborhood in Bethesda this year, on Higley's conversation-starting Higley Elite 100 list. It is second only to The Golden Triangle in Greenwich, Connecticut. Bradley Manor-Longwood's median income is $599,440, and is 80% white, according to Higley's data. Located right where the Beltway meets I-270, the neighborhood's home values have clearly not been impacted by its proximity to interstate highways.

The criteria Higley uses includes studying contiguous blocks that house residents earning a mean income over $200,000. His data comes from the American Community Survey of 2006-2010.

Higley found that more urban neighborhoods are joining his list, as redevelopment, gentrification and demolition of existing housing has forced out low and middle-income residents.

An interior design firm known for its highly regarded work in major buildings in New York City, the District, and Northern Virginia, has opened its new Bethesda headquarters at 7020 Wisconsin Avenue.

SR/A Interior Architecture and Design, and renowned CEO Sabine Roy, offer architectural and interior design, space planning, LEED and environmental design, and interior lighting among their services. The firm arrives in the midst of a recovered real estate market in downtown Bethesda, just the sort of high-rise projects they have found success with in the past.

Monday, February 24, 2014

The renovation of the Shops of Wisconsin Avenue continues, and the businesses are still open. Best known as the home of Bethesda's Trader Joe's, the shopping center is getting a massive overhaul by owner Douglas Development. Searching for retail or restaurant space in downtown Bethesda? They have space for lease.

You can pre-game for the Doubletree at Mussel Bar earlier Saturday afternoon. Their Mardi Gras R"evo"lution features $4 EVO drafts, $25 all-you-can-eat New Orleans cuisine, and live music by Chris Bruno.

7262 Woodmont Avenue, (301) 215-7817

BETHESDA BLUES AND JAZZ SUPPER CLUB

Friday, February 28, 8:00 PM

A burlesque show in downtown Bethesda? Lingerie models? You read about what's sure to be the wildest Mardi Gras event in town here last week, and with it being this Friday night, you can now fit all 3 events on your Mardi Gras schedule. I ga-ron-tee!

Westfield Montgomery Mall is adding two more dining options, and both are already favorites in downtown Bethesda. Chipotle and Cava Mezze Grill are the latest additions to an exploding roster of restaurants. Like last summer's addition of Starbucks, both provide mall patrons with popular brands, and should be a draw for the sizable lunch crowd from the office parks and high school nearby.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

IHOP at home? Yes, now you can enjoy entrees from the International House of Pancakes at home, with these microwavable sandwiches. The newest addition to the lineup is the Griddle n' Sausage Breakfast Sandwich.

This sandwich features a maple sausage patty between two IHOP pancakes. Of course, when your restaurant is all about pancakes, the pancakes better be mighty good, right?

Let's test it out in this video review, and find out if the pancakes, and sandwich, are worthy of the IHOP name.

The latest repair deadline for the escalator between the plaza and bus bays at the Bethesda Metro Center arrived last Friday. As you may recall, several previous deadlines were missed over the last few weeks. But Friday, the blockades were finally removed. Now let's take the escalator...

Well, it turned out that, while the escalator was open, it was locked in stair mode and not moving.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Need custom T-shirts for your business? Hats? Personalized gifts? EmbroidMe offers these and more at 7030 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda. Don't be confused by the Kitchen and Bath sign over the storefront, even though you wouldn't be blamed for being so.

We've seen some of the dangerous sidewalks in downtown Bethesda, and along River Road. Here are some of this past week's biggest offenders in White Flint. There's some discussion of new plans and new rules, but it would seem to me that the rules are quite clear: residential and business property owners (and WMATA and government) are responsible for clearing their respective sidewalks. If it is not done, they are in violation of existing law. It would seem inappropriate for taxpayers to pick up the tab for some property owners' snow removal, while still being forced to clear their own residential and business sidewalks at their own expense and/or labor.

This was the most dangerous sidewalk situation I can recall. In numerous cases, pedestrians were walking head on into oncoming traffic in the roadway. If bus stops were even accessible, passengers were forced to climb snow drifts in between the stop and curb, to board or disembark. And this was many days later, not immediately following the storm.

You made it to the bus stop,but getting to the buswon't be easy once itarrives

Friday, February 21, 2014

Service has officially resumed at the Bethesda Metro station, after smoke in the tunnel forced single-tracking on the Red Line between Friendship Heights and Medical Center. Firefighters responded, and Metro mechanics are determining the cause of the smoke, which drifted onto the Bethesda platform during the evening rush tonight. Above is a photo of the first train to stop at the station after the shutdown.

Smoke in the tunnel near the Bethesda Metro station drifted into the station tonight, prompting a response from Montgomery County police and fire units. Service was temporarily suspended to the station; trains continued to run single-track between Friendship Heights and Medical Center. Metro mechanics are at this hour still attempting to reach a fan shaft by train, and repair the unspecified problem.